Larkhill Racing Club 2023 Review
A high quality meeting opened the New Year at Larkhill when the Racing Club held their annual event. They were rewarded with a decent crowd who were able to enjoy some fine racing on going described by riders as good and watch some memorable performances. Both of the Open races produced impressive winners for different reasons whereas two young horses celebrating their sixth and fifth birthdays respectively went into the notebook as future potential stars.
The Woolley and Wallis sponsored Ladies Open saw the seasonal debut of the evergreen and now fifteen-year-old Southfield Theatre ridden by Lily Bradstock. Despite his advancing years he adopted his usual front running style and had the majority of his five rivals in trouble approaching the last fence. However, Born Survivor ridden by Chloe Emsley who had tracked the leader for most of the journey and on the run in was able to find extra to win by two lengths. Owned now in partnership by Trull House Stud (Richard Kelvin-Hughes) and the Otter Club he was making his point-to-point debut for trainer Ed Walker. Used last season as a work horse with Polly Gundry’s stable star Santini he was intended to have an outing in the point-to-point field but due to his form under rules in 2021 he was not eligible to run. However, as Ed explained ‘he was in full work with Santini and there had been no issues with him.’ Ed has been riding him at home and his instructions to Chloe were to let him enjoy himself and see if he still wanted to be a racehorse. A winner for Dan Skelton at Uttoxeter in 2021 he was then third behind Frodon at Sandown in April of that year. Chloe who works for Polly and Ed was riding her first winner this season and had another reason to celebrate as she and her long-term partner Stuart Payne have just announced their engagement.
The Southern Counties Auctioneers Mens Open race looked a competitive race on paper, but the Chris Barber trained Famous Clermont had other ideas. Ridden as usual by Will Biddick he followed his ten rivals for much of the race before making up ground as they came back into view. By the time the final ditch was jumped he was well in command and had fifteen lengths in hand at the line from principal rival Kaproyale. The winner had been due to make his seasonal debut at the abandoned Avon Vale meeting, so the challenge had been to keep him ticking over for this event. Chris was delighted with the success of his stable star who has got better as each year passes. Plans for the future are at this stage undecided with the possibility of a run in a Hunter Chase later this month and then to consider options after that outing.
The meeting had opened with a Conditions race run in the memory of the late Godfrey Maundrell and he would have been pleased with the quality of the fourteen horses that took part. With neither of the leading two horses in the betting Commanche Red and Williewonga running up to their best it was left to the youngest horse in the field Viroflay ridden by Olive Nicholls to record an eight lengths victory over Paloma Blue ridden by Josh Newman. Trained by Georgie Nicholls and owned by Paul Nicholls and John Bolton he had previously won a two-year-old race on the all-weather in France before winning a juvenile hurdle at Wincanton on his second start for Paul Nicholls. He then was off the course for over two years with a leg issue before his reappearance at Chaddesley Corbett in December. On the evidence of this performance and bearing in mind his inexperience over fences this was a very taking run and when asked if he is likely to remain pointing the trainer remarked ‘Bloody well hope so!’ He should provide Olive who was delighted with his jumping plenty of fun for the season.
A maximum field of eighteen horses took part in the We do Vans sponsored Maiden race and this produced a dominant display from the previously unraced Regatta De Blanc ridden by her trainer Will Biddick. Tracking the leaders from the fifteenth fence she was in full command jumping the final ditch and pulled right away from her rivals to record a twenty lengths victory. A half sister to the winning Hurdler Presenting A Queen she had been acquired at the Goffs Land Rover Sale in June 2021 by Ed Bailey for owner Rupert Swallow. Running in the Pendil Partnership name Rupert explained that his mother Cynthia had owned the twice winning King George Chase horse from the 1970’s trained by Fred Winter. Rupert who lives near Windsor is enjoying his first venture into pointing with both the horses he has run to date winning following the previous success of Il Pino at Chaddesley Corbett in December. Ed took up the story about how both horses were acquired at the Sales. ‘Rupert and I had gone to Ireland to source horses as Rupert had decided to start his venture into owning horses outright and to begin with point to pointers.’ Ed added that ‘the two horses were only two lots apart and we ended buying them both within a very short space of time’ Rupert added that he has one more to run namely a Flemensfirth filly who has just turned four.
The Alec Jarrett Limited sponsored Restricted Race was won by the favourite Rabble Rouser ridden by Henry Crow for owner Peter Clifton and trainer Joseph O’Shea. Supplementing his success from the previous Larkhill meeting in November he was made to battle by the front running Bloodstone ridden by George Henderson but had five lengths in hand at the finish. It was a four hour trip from Joe’s Cheshire base but this victory from his three horses he brought to the meeting will have it feel shorter on the way home.
Chris Barber was denied a double when the favourite for the Clarke Willmott sponsored Novice Riders race Knockmoylan ridden by Ella Orttewell was overtaken on the run in by Thegallantway ridden by Molly Landau. Trained by Jenny Gordon for owner Anthony Ward-Thomas Jenny said that Anthony had done much of the pretraining at his home but that the gelding had come to her yard in November for the last pieces of work. Previously trained by Fergal O’Brien for whom he won two Hurdle races Molly followed the instructions to ‘keep creeping into the race’ to perfection and was another well-timed ride by this promising jockey.
The Connolly’s Red Mills sponsored Maiden race provided the closest finish of the day with Happy Day Emery ridden by Martin McIntyre just getting up to deny The Ballybreen Fox ridden by Charlie Marshall. Owned by the Barrow Street Racing Club and trained by Bea Coward the grey gelding was having his first run in England having run three times in Ireland last season. Not sold at the Goffs May Sale in May he was acquired privately through Mel Smith Bloodstock in July for the Club and should prove one to follow for this season. Bea who trains at Barrow Street near Mere has three horses to train this season and is another young trainer whose charges are worth supporting.
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